Monaro's Mouse Pages
Mouse taming tips
1) Put out a selection of food & treats (1 of each on a plate) and see which he likes most: these are high value treats for training. Using his normal everyday feed for training isn't as likely to get his attention.
Click here for suggestions on treats you can try.
2) Only handle him when you are calm and not busy or in a rush to go and do
something else. Talk to him whenever you are near his cage so you don't surprise
him, and he gets to learn the sound of your voice. Before you open the cage it
is wise to "knock" or make some kind of sound he can associate with you coming
into his space (I scratch my fingernails on the lid) so that it's not a sudden
surprise, but he knows to expect something to happen.
3) Never wake him up when he is sleeping, wait for him to be active for
playtime. Never disturb his bedroom/nest while he is in it: he needs at least
one part of his home that is "his" and is safe where he knows he can go and be
left alone.
4) When he is awake, frequently put your hand in the cage not to touch him, just
to be there, still. So he can approach & sniff, stand on it without moving your
hand so it doesn't scare him. (Or if you need to move, talk first then do it
slowly). Sometimes have treats in your hand but not every time, or he may start
to nip. He needs to learn that hand means either good stuff or just nothing (as
in nothing threatening & no demands of interaction)
5) If he tries to mouth at you or nibble fingernails just move gently and maybe
nudge his nose away to discourage him without scaring him. Monza mouthed for a
bit but once he realised that "hand" was alive and not a threat or food he gave
up. He didn't bite, he was just exploring with his mouth to figure out what it
was so he could understand.
6) The best way to pick up at first is to supply tubes. Wait till he goes in one
then pick up the tube.
Hold your hand at the end
and wait for him to decide to walk out. Don't tip him up to slide him out or he
may become scared, it needs to be his decision, you will need patience!
7) Once he is on your hand, I gently cup my other hand over the top, leaving
gaps he can look out of so he's not trapped but protected in a nice small cosy
safe nest type environment from the big outside world.
When he pokes his nose out let him walk out onto your arm & explore. Keep him on
you at first so he learns that playing on you us safe. My first two always run
back to me if startled or unsure as I'm "safety" to them :)
8) Keep handling short and build up slowly so he always knows he will return to
his territory soon. Keep a tissue on hand for accidents. Monaro doesn't go to
the loo on me any more, he holds it in till he's off me :)
My boys now look forward to seeing me. They will beg at the bars for treats, and
beg to come out (Monaro does this by sitting on the tube I used to use to lift
him out, and staring at the lid, then me, then tube, lid, me etc till I take the
hint! Sometimes he runs in the tube and looks at me from it as if to say "come
on, I'm ready, take me out!" And now he jumps on my hand to come out.
9) Every time I put them back in their cages I give them a treat, so they step
off my hand then turn around for a treat :) This way even going home again is
associated with you and good stuff, not about running away from you.
For free range play I started with the dining table as they won't jump off, and
now I use the sofa when I'm watching a programme, the mice sit & chill out with
me, or play hide & seek in their playmat or their big "outside the cage" toys.
They frequently come back to my shoulder to wash & hang out.
I know now how they tell me if they want to go back in their cages because they
run on and off my shoulder repeatedly.
If I try to put Monaro back when he's not finished having fun he just keeps
jumping back on my hands when I try to put him in his cage.
If he has been going on & off my shoulder for a while I know when I put him back
he will stay :)
Also if he accepts the treat when I put him away then he's content. If he
ignores it or shoves it away and stands on my hand instead he's not done!